Center of Excellence Manager – Business application Team

Securitas Group
Strongly united by the purpose “We help make your world a safer place”, Securitas successfully integrates technology, people, and knowledge to offer protective services to clients all over the world. Securitas offers security services by combining expertise in on-site, mobile and remote guarding with electronic security and experience in fire and safety. The group has 322,000 employees in 44 markets worldwide.
Securitas vision is to become the Intelligent Protective Services Partner through being client centric, data driven, and people focused. Our protective services help make your world a safer place.

To achieve this vision, Securitas Europe has launched a business transformation Program: NorthStar

Presentation of North Star Common Core Program
North Star is the Europe Division’s Transformation Program at Securitas. The objective of this Program is to transform our organization and processes across all European countries through a new common platform enabler. Launched 4 years ago, the Program is now entering a new phase focused on the roll out in the different countries, with several already live.
To support the Program and countries already live, we are strengthening our team part of the IT European Organization and recruiting a Senior Project Manager. In this role, you will report to the Program Director.   
Overview:
In Europe, we launched a transformation program four years ago to leverage and centralize applications at the European level. To support this strategy, the Business Application IT team operates as a product‑oriented IT organization. Delivery is structured around:

Product Domains, accountable for product development and functional value


Roll-out Projects, responsible for large-scale, multi-country deployments and product implementation


The Center of Excellence (CoE) team acts as a support function for both Product Domains and Roll-out Projects by providing quality assurance capabilities, architecture expertise, and standards and processes to manage releases and ensure run stability, including CAB management and AMS oversight. The team is a key structural pillar between Product and Project activities.

We are seeking a skilled and experienced Center of Excellence Manager who can operate effectively in a complex, multicultural environment. In this role, you will be responsible for:

IT Architecture (functional, application, and technical)


Testing & Quality Assurance


Change Governance (CAB)


AMS contract management


Contributing to the definition and implementation of IT standards, frameworks, and best practices across the Business Application team


Tools administrative support ADO


You will manage a team of 10 people.
Key Responsibilities:

Secure changes and releases through strong governance:

Improve and chair the Change Advisory Board


Assess and approve major IT changes


Balance speed of delivery and system stability


Secure changes and releases through strong governance



Ensure robust application run via the AMS model

Own the AMS contract at European level


Monitor SLAs and KPIs


Manage vendor performance and continuous improvement



Ensure a coherent and controlled target IT architecture

Lead the IT Architecture team


Define and enforce European target architecture and principles


Validate major product and platform design decisions


Manage deviations and technical debt



Guarantee a consistent level of quality across all products

Lead the Test & Quality Team


Improve quality and testing strategy


Harmonize testing practices across products and projects


Ensure release quality before deployment, either product enhancements or project roll-outs



Provide clear interfaces and support to Product Domains and Roll-out Projects


Participate in the improvement of standards, frameworks, and best practices across teams


Define and monitor system stability and quality KPIs


Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience


10–15 years of IT experience


Strong background in architecture, governance, and run management


Experience in multi-country, product-oriented environments


Proven experience leading and managing small teams, including mentoring and performance management


Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a keen attention to detail


Excellent communication skills, able to collaborate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders


Ability to thrive in fast-paced, dynamic project environments


Solid understanding of business needs, objectives, and processes, with the ability to leverage technology for business improvement


Experience working in matrix organizations and with virtual teams


Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to make informed decisions and execute effectively


Strong people management and leadership skills


Fluent in English


What we offer:
 
At Securitas, we are committed to doing the right thing—and doing it well—for both our customers and our employees. Our employees come from diverse backgrounds, bringing a wide range of talents, perspectives, and experiences. We strive for inclusive representation across the company and are committed to equal pay, safe working conditions, gender balance, and an inclusive environment that fosters growth, skill development, and career opportunities.
If this resonates with you, don’t wait - apply today!